Where's my devotion
by Lorris
Summary: Annie's life as a cadet of the 104th, and how she'll have to deal with her mission and Mikasa Ackerman.
1. Chapter I

_**AN : You can read my notes at the end of each chapter (if there's any).  
**_

 _ **Chapter 1**_

Annie was playing with her food – a foul stew that made her want to gag – as she was obliged to listen to the other girls chatting loud from the table behind hers. They were laughing like woodcocks, telling gossips of the day and confessing disgusting secrets that Annie would have never wanted to hear if she'd been able to. That was exactly why she sometimes regretted not being deaf. And that was why she didn't want to mingle with them neither; because she perfectly knew it wasn't her place.

Annie was a discreet girl, but mostly she had nothing to do with it. The _others_ , she didn't like _them_ much anyway.

But they were friendly though, for the majority. They had tried several times to make her loosen up a bit. They took an interest in her by talking to her, trying to play with her and eventually invite her to hang out together. But still, Annie refused every move her comrades did, pretending she need some peace or had no time. So after a moment, the girls turned away from her to finally turn their attention on the new attraction in the camp : two boys from Shiganshina, Eren Jaeger and Armin Arlert, and the young Eurasian who was with them, Mikasa Ackerman. They were ones of the minor survivors of Wall Maria's Titans attack. Everyone was talking about those three new recruits, and even if she was high above all that, Annie couldn't help but feel intrigued by these people there, especially one of them.

"She's cute, huh ?" a muscular blond boy discreetly said to Annie as he leaned over to her.

"Hm ?" the girl breathed, taken away from her reverie. "What ?"

"The Eurasian. She's pretty."

Annie looked at Reiner, an eyebrow upper than the other, then at the girl he was talking about. The Asian was seated with her adopted brother, eating her plate in silence. She hadn't even taken the time to remove that red scarf she always wore around her neck.

What do people find at this one ? She had nothing extraordinary. Four days since she's here, and she spent most of her time to follow the Jaeger boy like a watchdog. Poor girl.

Mikasa suddenly raised up her head. In a brief blink of her eyes, she found herself being looking on Annie's blue orbs, and locked her slanting eyes with hers. The blonde quickly turned her gaze away in reflex, her heart beating violently as she returned to her ceramic plate, trying to conceal as much emotion as she possibly can from her face. She inhaled deeply. "If you say so," she finally answered to her friend, pretending to care not.

"Come on," Reiner teased, rubbing his strong shoulder against hers to tap her gently, causing Annie to breathed irritatingly. "I can see how you look at her."

"I'm not looking at her."

"And now you're bluuushiiing !" he sang with a stupid smile. "How cute, my Annie has a crush !"

"S-Shut up !" she spat in denial. "I'm not interested."

"Reiner," growled a voice less grave than the blond. "Leave her alone, would you ?"

A tall boy with brown hair sat down with them, a tray of food in his hands.

"But Bert, our little Ann's a big girl, now !"

Bertholdt smiled at the comment, taking his cutlery in his hands to prepare himself to eat. "That's precisely why you should leave her alone, then," he said before putting the food into his mouth, eyeing both Annie and Reiner carefully as he was chewing.

Reiner put his hands on the table, leaning towards his friend to lower a tone. "Man, that girl has two left hands, I can't let her fuck that love story up 'cause of her damn temper !"

"Hey !" Annie spat, turning her head vigorously to Reiner as she strove not to cut his throat. "I'm still here !"

"Yeah, and how ?" Bertholdt asked, ignoring her as if he thought that the girl was a lost case and that she, in fact, needed some help.

Reiner shut his eyes and took a serious look by crossing his arms on his chest as he was thinking. "Won't be easy, but I've got an idea..."

"Hello, this is Earth calling !" Annie said, mimicking a phone call to interfere. "I don't have any..."

Annie's end of sentence faded away as she realized that nobody was listening to her anymore. The boys were completely ignoring her, already too far away in thoughts now, imagining a whole bunch of stratagems to put an end to Annie's boundless celibacy. It was useless to lose energy to interrupt them with words, but there was something she could do that would always worked.

"Enough !" Annie shouted as she took Reiner by the neck before taping his head violently on the wooden table. "Just go on like this and I'll fucking tear your tongue away !" she blurted out with anger.

All eyes were now posed on her, but she was too upset to even noticed that.

"Oye, Ann..." Reiner said in a feeble voice, grimacing. "I was just kidding, okay ? Let me go," he pleaded with a nervous smile.

"I don't have any fucking crush on anyone, you get it !?" she yelled, the blood into her veins boiling her entire body as she was at the mercy of wrath.

And it was then, when her words came out of her mouth, that she realized the silence in the place. The eyes on her. The many dilated pupils that looked at her with an obvious amusement.

Annie swallowed hard, her throat hot and dried as she faced the judgment in their eyes, more shameful than satisfied to defend herself from such a lie... Why was it so annoying that Reiner talked to her about this Eurasian girl ? She didn't know, but now, she just felt weak and awful, so she was there, standing on her feet almost lifeless, because she dared not to move a finger.

Sounds of footsteps drumming heavy on the ground and the door of the Regiment's self opened with a noise that made everyone jump from their seats.

"What's going on here, cadets ?" Keith Shadis's voice spat in annoyence before his tall body appeared in the middle of his soldiers. All the young recruits stood up to put their hands on their chest in salute as the man's eyes were scrutinizing the place carefully before instantly locked on the blonde girl that still had her hands on Reiner's neck. He send daggers to her, making Annie released the boy, and faced at him foolishly.

"Leonhardt," Shadis said, moving slowly to her as Reiner was coughing. "What were you doing to your comrade ?"

Annie swallowed painfully – she really had some respect for that man – before she took a deep breath and spoke. "I was trying to strangle him, Sir," she replied, making everybody's eyes widened. It was useless to lie. How could she ? He saw her with her hands around his neck ! "But not to death," she specified.

The man breathed noisily. "I see that you have some energy to spend... I think that twenty rounds of the training land and fifteen pumps will you make you some good then." Annie rolled her eyes. She could have finish his sentence. "Now go before I kick your ass ! On the double !" he shouted at her ear sadistically.

Annie rushed outside, pursued by the man who was still screaming at her.

The others took back their places, mocking and gossiping, and Reiner sighed in relief. "Jesus..." he breathed as he massaged his hurted neck, eying at Bertholdt to find some compassion from him. "That girl's a tornado..."

But the brown haired boy shook his head and sighed. "Don't look at me," he replied, shuting his eyes in annoyance. "You totally deserved it, man," he paused, smirking arrogantly. "I already said to you to leave her alone."


	2. Chapter II

**Chapter 2**

Annie was panting noisily, one knee on the ground as she felt her whole body trembled, exhausted. Keith Shadis was standing up at her side, his arms crossed on his chest as he was watching her with a comtemptuous look. He had used her until her last strenght, until that her breaths teared her lungs from within, making her feel like she had swallowed a torrent of lava. It was particularly painful.

"Enough for tonight," the instructor hissed between his teeth before turning his heels towards the officer's quarters, leaving the girl under the cold air of the night.

Annie straightened up, letting out an oath passing her throat as she realized the pain in her legs. She wiped the dust on her lap and elbows before grimacing because, hell, her arms made her suffer too. Then, out of breath, she decided to walk to the girls' dormitories, clenching her teeth as the mere fact of walking and breathing was abominable at that precise moment.

Damn, that man was a real sadist.

Finally at the dorms, Annie had to face a multitude of eyes' peers riveted on her. Everyone were studying her with their eyes like she was some kind of a strange beast. It jaded her, but she was used to those gazes on her self, so she crossed the room silently, with the sole aim of reaching her bed to sleep. But as she was removing her leather jacket that she then folded at the edge of her bed, she froze because of what she heard from a band of girls in the corner of her eyes.

They were staring at her, laughing and saying things like "she's so weird" or even "is she really a girl ?".

That one made Annie instinctively lowered her eyes to her chest. She knew that she was smaller than the standard and more flat but muscular than she should be as a female gender, but, seriously, asking about if she really was a girl ? It was stupid. Wearing. Gross.

She frowned and closed her eyes to forget those words, removing now her hoodie, but another giggling unintentionally caught her attention, and hurted her more than before.

"I don't know how Reiner and Bert can hang out with a slut like her," a girl said scornly.

"Well, she's probably good with her mouth," Mina Carolina's voice scoffed in an audible tone.

Annie clenched her teeth to retain herself to retort.

It wasn't really because of the words Mina and her band used on her. It rather was because she remember that a few days earlier, this girl – and the others – had tried to become her friend, and just because Annie had not seemed interested – but it was much more complicated than that – they found that it was needless to have any empathy for her now.

Why ? Why did people always judge her and despise her in the end ? She didn't harm anyone. She didn't even mingle with their quiet life neither.

But... what if those bitches were right ? What if Reiner and Bertholdt didn't really like her ? What if they stayed with her just because they felt some pity for her loneliness ? They were nice and cute boys, too cute to be friends with a girl like her...

"Would you mind shut up ?" grunted a voice, not far from Annie. The blonde turned her head, surprised to see an ebony haired girl coming out of the sheets. "There are people here who would like to sleep."

"Oh, sorry Mikasa," a girl apologized. "We didn't know you were sleeping." And the little band of girls separated to regain their bed in whispers and laughters.

Annie didn't take her eyes off the Asian muffled under the blankets in the bed next to her. Reiner was probably right, it was true that she was a pretty girl, even with a sleepy face. The Asians were so rare, and they had so special features – beautiful features... As Annie peered at her, their eyes crossed again, and she swiftly turned her head to hide her blush on the cheeks.

Why did she always do that ? And since when had she been here ? It was Krista's bed. So Annie looked around her to find a tuft of blond hair in what seemed to be the ancient bed of Mikasa...

They exchanged places ? Oh, yeah, it was true that Krista seemed to be closer to that freckled brunette than she was at the beginning.

"If you are thirsty," the Eurasian said in a neutral tone, making Annie's heart skipped a beat as she was brought back to reality. "Krista had left you some water under your bed. She wanted to give it to you in person, but she fell asleep as she was waiting for you. So you should thank her tomorrow."

Annie blinked fatuously, but before she could answer anything to Mikasa, the girl turned herself on the other side of the bed, closing the discussion.

The small blonde knelt down and leaned under her bed, grabbing the gourd that lay there. She pulled the cork out and drank a few sips... it was so good, Shadis hadn't let her drink once. Thanks to Krista. The girl really was a too nice person, but Annie appreciated her.

* * *

The next morning, very early – too early for Annie – Keith Shadis disembarked at the dorms to wake everyone up. He said that he wanted to see everyone dressed up in three minutes, so the agitation won the recruits as they were frightened at the thought of not being on time. But Annie wanted to stay under the covers. It was so warm and good... after all, what was she going to risk ? She would be suspended or expelled, but then ? She didn't really want to make a career in the army, and it was her father who forced her to engaged here because she had supposedly something to do... something boring.

"What are you doing ?" a voice asked her in a severe tone.

Annie lifted the blanket from her eyes to get a look. It was Mikasa, dressed up in her military suit, standing in front of her with stern eyes, a hand on her hips. She threw something at her, and the blond felt a weight on her body.

"Put it, and fast. You've only got one minute."

The blonde lowered her eyes, it was her clothes that were posed on her legs. She looked at the Eurasian then, sighing noisily. "I don't care," she said before putting her blanket on her head to turn herself on the other side. Half a second later, she felt the sheets fly away and the girl curled up into a ball as the fresh air bristling her hairs. "Hey, what's wrong with you !?" she spat as she launched her pillow on Mikasa.

The Asian caught it up and sighed in exasperation. "Get dress, Annie, or I'll drag you outside myself in your pajamas."

* * *

Both leaving the dorms, Annie and Mikasa joined the ranks, standing almost at the opposite side of each other. Reiner smiled mischievously when he saw the girls arrived at the same time. He nudged Bertholdt lightly, aiming at Annie with a movement of his head, and the brown haired boy rolled his eyes in exasperation. So when Annie stood at their sides to salute, Reiner leaned towards her to whisper to her ear.

"You could have held her hand, Ann," he said in a wink, making the girl frowned and sighed noisily.

"You know what ?" she hissed without even looking at him. "Just fuck off, Reiner."

Reiner retained a laugh and answered with a "okay fine" before the instructor Shadis arrived to explain the program of the day. With a screaming voice the man announced that today was : training, training, training and... training. Oh, and maybe some lunch in the middle of all that, but... it wasn't a sure thing. That man was known to be a fool sadistic psychopath so... it was an obligation to forget all that was a source of pleasure with him.

The agitation won the crowd.

"Recruits !" the man shouted to stop the ferment inside the ranks. He pointed his hand to his left, toward a woman soldier standing next to him. "I introduce you Rico Brzenska. She will be in charge of your training until the end of your noviciate period," he said, eyeing each one of the recruits sternly. "Those firsts days were nothing. Now you're going to get down to business," he announced with a narrow of his eyes. "Also, if you're not ready to give everything you have to us, I suggest you to go get your belongings back and leave the camp right now. We only want the most determined of you. The others, you can return to your family."

The recruits were looking at each other uneasily and started to agitate. It only was five days that they were in the military camp but a good many of them couldn't take it anymore. Days were long, nights too short, trainings too rigorous, meals sparsely nourishing, and then... there was the fear. The fear of having to meet the Titans.

They were already a bit scared of those monsters, but since the arrival of Eren and Mikasa, it had been worse. Eren told them his story, explained what he had seen and since... his comrades were completely terrified. Everyone began to reflect on the real reasons that had led them so far. Far away from their family, and yet so close enough to death...

"So, who wants to kiss mom ?" Keith Shadis asked with some mockery in his tone. "Come on, there's no shame to have !"

Annie looked around her and saw some of her comrades get on the trucks that will lead them in town. Instinctively, she searched for Mikasa in the crowd and analyzed her when she finally met her gaze anew. She couldn't help feeling something deep inside herself, like some kind of apprehension. Curiously, Annie was hoping that Mikasa woudn't leave now... but why ? She didn't know it yet. However, the knot in her stomach didn't lie.

 _ **AN: I know that Mina Carolina is supposed to be a friendly girl, but I needed her more... bitchy in this story.**_


	3. Chapter III

**Chapter 3**

Annie was bored. It wasn't that she didn't like to fight – on the contrary – but none of her opponents were really up to par. She was too methodical and too fast to let herself being effloresced by anyone, even Reiner, so her ennemies always ended up on the ground in the first thirty seconds of fighting, just like right now.

She sighed as she felt Eren struggling under her weight. The poor boy had wanted to see what 'this one' some people were talking about was able to. And he had barely held a minute on his feet before she grabbed him by one of his arms to make him fall on the ground with a kick, making a perfectly mastered leg sweep.

Finally, and to put a touch of art on that, she just sat on his butt, still holding his arm back.

"You're so slow," Annie breathed with a deadpanned expression, obviously bored by the situation. "I didn't know I was fighting against a snail. Well, if we can call that a fight."

Eren, still struggling, tried to speak as his cheek was crushed against the ground. "Okay, you won, Annie," he said in a groan, defeated. "Now, let go of me..."

"Negative," she replied in a mechanical tone, shaking her head horizontaly. "You've just got to use your body to get rid of me."

"But I can't move !" the boy shot back, desperate. "And you're hurting my arm !"

Annie let a smile sketch her lips. She loved it. Being in control. Submit the others. She knew she was one of the best fighter of the 104th, but it was sometimes as tedious as it could be glorious.

"Enough, Annie," threatened a female voice from behind that made the blond shuddered from head to toe.

Annie turned a little only to fall on an unfriendly Mikasa. The dead look she gave made the blond loosen up her grip on the boy, and Eren took that moment to try to push her with a movement of his back. But in vain, because Annie tightened her grip on his arm, making him scream like a girl.

"Damn, Annie !" he shouted with tears forming under his green pupils. "Stop, you're gonna break my arm ! Stop !"

But the girl didn't release his aching member.

"I said 'enough' !"

Annie felt that she was grasped by the shoulders to being violently drag backwards. She lose balance and fell back on the ground, her eyes watching Eren trying to get up and Mikasa running to offer him her arms to help.

"Eren, are you-"

But suddenly, the boy pushed her away, and the girl blinked at him in incomprehension.

"Why the fuck did you do that ?!" he shouted at Mikasa in a real anger. "I didn't need you ! Why are you here ?! Mind your own business !"

Mikasa opened her lips to speak, but no words came out. She felt hurt. She didn't understand his reaction. She just wanted to protect him, just like he did in the past. She knew that Annie could be uncontrollable sometimes. And now she was. Eren also knew it. So why did he spend his time prowling around this girl and risk to get himself hurt ? That, Mikasa didn't get it. And that, well, she didn't really accept it either.

"Eren..." she breathed in her red scarf as the boy turned on his heels. "Eren...?"

But the boy came away without even turn around, his heavy steps hammering the ground.

Annie straightened up and wiped her knees and elbows to chase the dust away. "He's such a cry baby," she stated in a neutral tone.

Mikasa faced her instantly and stared at her with a dark look. If a gaze could kill someone, then Annie would be certainly dead at that precise moment.

"Were you out of your mind, Annie ?" the Eurasian asked bitterly, her eyes keeping throwing daggers on her. "You could have broke his arm !"

Annie put a hand on her hip, furrowing her brow. She didn't really understand where the problem was and, honestly, she didn't really care because she was just kicking someone's annoying's ass and there was nothing wrong about that. "But I haven't," she retorted in a shrugg.

"Yeah, because I've stopped you !" the brunette added as she tapped Annie violently on the collar bone, pushing back the blond a few steps from where she was standing.

Annie scoffed at that, both surprised and stimulated and she instinctively used her two hands to push Mikasa harder in return.

The brunette staggered a little under the kick and gazed at the blond in complete disbelief. Was she seriously trying to put her into a fight right now ?

A boy noticed the tension between the two girls. "Girls fight !" he suddenly cried cheerfully, putting his hands around his mouth to amplified his voice on the process.

A bunch of people turned their heads in his direction, stopping their trainings as their were whistling happily for the two girls. In no time at all, they were all starting to take bets...

Mikasa saw red and tried to answer back with her fists, but Annie saw it coming and dodged her easily, making a move to trapped her members in hers. Smiling proudly, she finally spin the Eurasian in round and plastered her on the ground, ready to knock her out. With her fist raised in the air, she suddenly swallowed hard when she realized the position they both had, hips against hips.

Annie decontracted her muscles when her eyes met Mikasa's stern ones, her cheeks becoming full red. The brunette was panting heavily, her chest rising fast as her eyes never stopped scrutinizing the blond deeply, making her shiver uncomfortably above her tensed body...

Damn... what was that feeling ?

"What's going on here ?"

At the hearing of the voice, Annie and Mikasa turned their heads vigourously, the surprise and the shame making them froze at the realisation that it was Rico Brzenska. The woman was probably alarmed by all the noises the recruits were making by turning their whispers into cries, and encouragements into wild applauses.

"You all, return to your training !" she ordered in a severe tone that froze their blood inside their veins. "And I remind you that gamblings are forbidden here !"

The crowd that was gathering around the fight immediately dislocated, leaving the two girls at the mercy of the officer.

"Ackerman and Leonhardt !" the instructor screamed furiously. "In my office. Right now !"

* * *

They were in Rico's officer tent, a rather spacious but empty place, totally devoided of warmth and personality, just like the military life required you to be.

There was a long silence in the room. Both of girls had their hands on their hearts in a military salute. They were looking at the instructor as she was pacing before them with a cold expression on the face, massaging her temples in an obvious way to restraint herself from yelling at the girls.

"Leonhardt," she sighed in annoyance, still turning in round. "I'm not really surprised to see you here. Again," she said, insisting on the last word.

Annie kept her head high, blue eyes afar as the instructor sermonized her about how a soldier would behave in her Regiment, reminded her that strangling people, or breaking them a leg or an arm, or anything that was inside a human body was formally forbidden within the encampment.

"Am I clear ?" Rico sighed in a deep exasperation.

The little blond nodded, and the woman now turned herself on Mikasa with a hint of sadness and incomprehension in the eyes.

"And you, Mikasa..." she breathed, shooking her head horizontaly in disappointment. "Why ? What was that for ? Who started this ?"

The Eurasian lowered her head in shame. Since she was here, a few weeks ago now, she used to be the favorite.

All of her words and actions were always well thought; nothing was left to chance. She was loved by everyone. Boys. Girls. Superiors. And what now ? Now she was a delinquent at Rico's eyes, and it was awful because... well, it was Annie's fault.

As none of the girls replied, Rico sighed more noisily than before, irritated by what she took as insubordination.

"Well, if you refuse to talk," she threatened seriously. "I dismiss you both."

Annie took a discreet look at Mikasa from the corner of her eyes. She saw her react at the instructor's sentence. The Eurasian was clenching her teeth in anger and Annie knew it was anger because she saw the jaw to contract a few times and the eyebrows wrinkled in a natural spasm that Mikasa tried, but in vain, to control.

It was stupid. The all situation was stupid.

Annie felt guilty. And despite the appearances, it was a feeling that she often felt in society. Maybe Reiner – that bastard again – was right. Maybe she was like... a hothead. Maybe she started this. Or maybe it was Mikasa. Yeah, but who really cared ? Maybe she wasn't totally responsible of that stupid situation, but she was responsible for Mikasa's anger and that... well... it sucked.

Ashamed, she stared at an imaginary target, trying to forget the stupidy that came into her crazy mind as she was blaming herself so badly. But... why ? She hated others, she only cared about her and herself only. So why did it felt so wrong, then ? Why did she felt the need to speak at Rico to defend Mikasa ? She mentaly shrugged. Fuck this. Fuck people. Fuck guilt and responsabilities.

She opened her mouth to speak, gaze afar. It was stronger than her will. "Well, I was-"

"I provocated Annie in a fight, instructor," Mikasa retorted, covering the blond's voice as she spoke at the same time. "Because she actually is the best fighter of the 104th, and I wanted to learn some of her techniques," she explained, feeling her heart crushing down in her chest as she heard her own words getting out of her throat in an horrible lie. Rico watched at her skeptically, but Mikasa tried to not pay attention to those eyes. "That is why," she finally ended, rising her head proudly.


	4. Chapter IV

_**Chapter 4**_

If there was anything that Annie hated above all, it was to do housework. And it was not that she had two left hands. No. Annie was just bone idle.

So Rico's punishment was annoying, because she now had to clean the entire refectory with Mikasa Ackerman, you know, the girl over there who was like a time bomb because she was so damn angry that she tried so hard to jump not on Annie to stranggle her at that precise moment...

Anyway, all those crumbs of food scattered everywhere made the gurgling of Annie's belly roaring inside her like if a rabid animal was living in there. It echoed in the silent room, making difficult to occult the fact that she was so hungry that her stomach was twisted as it been caught inside a washer.

"Damn, Annie," Mikasa complained in a noisily sigh, her voice coming from behind. "Haven't you eat for weeks, or what ?"

Her tone of voice was cold, but she wasn't really angry because of the noise. It rather was because it only reminded her own hunger she tried so hard to forget...

Okay, maybe it was because she was a little angry against Annie for having being that stupid too. But just maybe.

The blond scoffed at the comment and stopped sweeping the floor. "Well, excuse me," she hissed, clenching her teeth as she turned herself into Mikasa's direction. "I would not have been deprived of eating if you had not lied to Rico !"

"And I would not have had to lie to Rico if you were able to keep yourself quiet !" Mikasa replied bitterly, throwing the rag she held on the wooden table, her face writhing with anger. "Damn it, you could have broke his arm !"

Annie opened her mouth to speak but suddenly closed it. "Wait..." she breathed, letting a smirk being drawn on her lips as she shook her head in disbelief. "You're still upset because I kicked your brother's ass this morning ?" She tried but she couldn't hide the amusement in her voice. "He's a big boy, you know ? Stop babysitting him."

"What's your problem with Eren ?" Mikasa's sentence was said in a harsh tone that made almost the blond flinch.

Annie raised an eyebrow, surprised by the question. She replaced one of her strands that had fell before her eyes and sighed. She didn't really know what to say. She didn't really have some problem with the boy. "What makes you think there is one ?" she demanded, her voice soften as if she wanted to appease the tensions.

"I've already told you," Mikasa sighed exasperately. "You were going to-"

"Oh, come on, change the record, please !" the blond cut with a roll of her eyes. "I already told you that I haven't !" She made a pause, inspiring deeply in an attempt to stay calm.

Damn, that was tough !

"Please," Mikasa's voice breathed, suddenly breaking the silence that was about to start. "Do not touch Eren again, Annie. Nevermore."

Annie looked at her in deadpan. She had nothing to say about that, so she just nodded inwardly, and the silence fell on the refectory one more time.

Almost ten minutes passed since the last word that had resounded from their lips.

Wrapped in the silence she caused, Annie couldn't help but give some few looks to Mikasa from the corner of her eyes. The girl was cleaning the tables like a robot, her face still tensed by anger. She bend over to reach the other end of the wooden surface, and Annie couldn't take her eyes off her. It was like her movements were hypnotizing.

As Mikasa walked on, rolling her hips until the next table where she leaned forward, Annie opened her mouth to lick her dry lips in a natural reflex. She didn't know she was doing that before she felt her wet tongue running on her delicate flesh. She almost jumped at the sensation, surprised by her own behavior. She felt her cheeks become red and her heart raced inside her chest, making her feel suddenly so strange...

She returned to her household, ashamed and hoping that Mikasa didn't see her in that state. But there was something in Annie's head, something heavy and absorbing. Why did a girl like Mikasa helped a girl like Annie ?

She tried to find the answer by herself but... it tortured her rather than it helped her so... she had to know. And she had to know it now.

"Say," she breathed in an almost inaudible tone. "Why did you... lie to Rico ?"

Mikasa froze at the sound of the voice at first. She was surprised to hear her, especially in what seemed to be a guilty tone, a feeling that Annie Leonhardt didn't seem to know. She put her rag on the table and turned, supported now by her hands on the wooden surface, gazing at the blond with stern eyes.

"Don't be mistaken," Mikasa replied pretty aggressively. "I didn't do it for you."

Annie lowered her eyes, a little disappointed. Yeah, she really thought – well, no, she rather hoped – that Mikasa did that to defend herself. She didn't expected that answer to hurt that much. Maybe because Annie was tired of being rejected, and that she would have appreciate to be supported by someone who cared for her just once. Only once.

"I see," she breathed before returning on her cleansing.

Mikasa stared at her a moment. She felt something inside her. It wasn't pity, but she didn't really know what it was. She wasn't blind, she saw the sadness in the blue orbs of Annie, and... it made her feel something disturbing on her stomach. She didn't really want to be that arrogant; she just didn't know how to talk to her.

"Listen," she started in a softer tone. "If I wouldn't have say that it was me, Rico would have sacked you."

Annie raised her head in her direction and sneered at that. "Then what ?" she demanded by crossing her arms on her chest. "It's none of your business, anyway." She then searched for the ring on her index finger.

The Eurasian shut her eyes and sighed. It wasn't easy to have a conversation with a hothead like that. "You're right," she admitted in a nod of her head. "But, as a comrade of the 104th, I just couldn't let you get dismissed like that."

Annie was about to say something, but Mikasa didn't let her time to, and kept talking. "I don't understand why a promising soldier like you could be so stupid sometimes..." she said as she shook her head in disappointment. "You commited yourself to serve the army and protect humanity, so why don't you just do it ? Why are you doing all those stupid things that will only bring you disrespect from others ?" she asked, but it was more for herself than for Annie. "I'm sure I'm not the only one to see your potential, Annie. You're smart and you're strong. You're precious inside our ranks."

Annie shook her head in disagreement, but there was a smile on her lips though. "So you... 'saved me' because you think that I'm a good soldier ?" Mikasa nodded. "But... what if you were wrong about me ?" she demanded in a provocative tone, starting to play with the ring, making it boundlessly roll around her digit. "What if I was just a stupid girl, a monster who cared not about the people I'm living with ?"

"You're not like that."

"How do you know ?" the blond scoffed. "You don't know anything about me."

"We all have our demons, Annie. But I'm sure you're not here haphazardly. It doesn't matter if it is just for one person or not, it means you cared enough for someone to join us. That kind of feelings can't make an evil person of you."

Not an evil person ? Annie drew a discreet smile on her lips at the hearing of the sentence. Mikasa was all wrong. Annie was here for a reason, that was right, but the reason was monstrous in itself. She was a monster. She accepted that truth so easily, that it couldn't be otherwise than evil. It was the only way to return to her father, though. And for that, she'll do anything. Right, or wrong.

She sighed playfully. "And... what about the great Mikasa Ackerman ?"

"What do you mean ?" the brunette asked, narrowing her eyes as she was smelling the sarcasm behind her voice.

"Why are you here ?" Annie specified, smirking devilishly at her. "I'm curious to know if you committed yourself for humanity, or if it was for Eren ?"

The question made Mikasa froze for a moment. Her heart raced inside her chest, and she felt the warm climbed on her cheeks as she was unable to answer properly to the question. It was... humiliating.

She stayed silent in what seemed to be an eternity, watching the floor in shame as she heard the blond chuckled mockingly in front of her, reinforcing her embarrassment.

"Hey, you know what people say about you ?" Annie demanded in a tone that Mikasa was unable to describe. The Eurasian raised her eyes on her in a questioning look. "They say you're totally crazy in love with your brother," she confessed in a short laugh. "Well, 'not that I especially have a problem with the incest thing, but-"

Annie didn't have time to finish her sentence that a punch hit her head right in the nose. The thump made her stepped back from a few meters before her knees met a bench, and no sooner said than done, her butt collided with the wooden floor in a crash.

"Damn, Ackerman !" Annie shouted as she tried to open one of her eyes, completely stunned. She instantly covered her face with her two hands, groaning in pain. "That fucking hurts !"

"Just go fuck yourself, Annie," the Eurasian spat coldly, but not loud enough to be heard by the other girl.

Clenching her fists, she hardly tried to retain herself from doing shit right now as she looked at Annie without any compassion for her, this time.

Okay, maybe the punch was too much, because it really wasn't entirely Annie's fault, but Mikasa was furious against her. And the others. How could they said that on her ? It was totally insulting.

So, of course it was not Annie's words, but it was Annie's drive to tell tales. And that hurt a lot because it was obvious that the blond said it in the only purpose to upset her. What was that for ? She tried to be friendly with her, and what ? It was pure evil. She, Annie, the so cold-hearted bitch... how could she just articulated those words without even consider it could be so hurtful to hear ?

Maybe they were right. Maybe Annie was selfish and arrogant, after all.

She was about to leave her like that, clumsily slouched on the floor, but when her eyes made haphazardly contact with all the blood that was flowing from her comrade's nose on her clothes, it was as if she couldn't move anymore.

She watched as Annie pinched her nostrils and craned her head back to stop the bleeding, and Mikasa instantly felt guilt inviding her guts. Why did she feel that feeling ? It was stupid, she was the one we hurt and laughed about ! So why are her fucking feet moving from themselves towards that girl ? Why was she now kneeling down beside her to touch her face and feel any kind of compassion for her ? What the heck was that ?

"Don't pull your head backwards," Mikasa said firmly as she took Annie's head between her hands to incline it towards her. "It could be dangerous."

Annie tensed her muscles. She was clearly hesitant in front of Mikasa's touch. She was the one who punched her. She was the one who made her bleed. And now, she wanted to be the one that nursed her ? Was Mikasa a bipolar person, or what ?

"Come on, stop moving, please," the Eurasian girl breathed in annoyance as Annie tried to struggle more and more to avoid those cold fingers on her bruised area. "Stay still !"

"But that hurts !" Annie spat as some tears emerged from the corner of her eyelash. "You totally broke my nose, you fucking genius !"

Under all those groans of pain, Mikasa couldn't help but bit her lower lip. Damn, she didn't want to hit her that much... why was she always lose her selfcontrol when it came to Eren ? It wasn't surprising that the others were thinking she felt something for him with that kind of attitude... She really had to change that if she wanted to stop all those rumors about her.

She moved her fingers away from the middle of the hurted face, almost stroking Annie's cheeks at the same time.

Annie felt herself react under that softer touch. Her body instantly relaxed and her muscles discontracted slowly, her eyes closing themselves as she was just savouring the trail of the digits on her skin. When the contact ended, she opened her eyes to look at Mikasa – who was staring at her intensely – and she was sure that her expression made herself look like a real idiot. She swallowed hardly when she realized how close their faces could be just now, and, even if she didn't see it, she could felt her cheeks reddened furiously under her skin.

Mikasa turned her head and cleared her throat. "I-I think that your nose is fine," she stammered in a breath as she stepped back a little. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "I'm sorry for hitting you," she admitted in a shy expression, sinking her nose inside her red scarf. "You didn't deserve it." She paused after that, then shook her head energically to correct herself. "Well, no, you actually deserved it, but-"

"It's okay," Annie cut, trying to draw a smile on her own lips – but she reconsidered it when the pain tensed her face – "I don't even know why I said that. About you and Eren, I mean."

Mikasa didn't answer and Annie didn't add anything at that either. So the both of them rested in the silence for a while, sitting on the ground next to each other, their gazes afar, thoughtful.

She didn't know how much longer they stayed like that, but Annie started to laugh as she realized that the all situation was stupid. Once again.

Mikasa turned towards her with a questioning look. It was surprising to see Annie laugh. Smile, even.

"That said," the blond finally breathed with a smirk. "You really have a good damn right hook, Ackerman."

Mikasa nervously chuckled at the comment, her cheeks turning red as she felt incredibly stupid for having overreacting a little sooner. "I'm really sorry about that, you know ?" she replied, the blush on her cheekbone making Annie's smile to widen.


	5. Chapter V

_**A.N: Just a word for VallorgChristensen... At first, thanks for the review, but thanks a lot for the remark that was in there ! I don't feel it like something insulting or what, on the contrary, I really appreciate it. You made me realize that I, sometimes, have shit in my eyes...**_

 _ **I'm sorry for all the mistakes I made and might probably keep doing in the future. English is not my native language, so it's kinda hard for me to translate everything correctly, but I'm trying to do my best... I hope this isn't annoying for you, all, to read me. Don't hesitate to make any remark if it is.  
**_

 _ **Anyways, here's the next chapter. I know some of you are frustrated for that lack of Mik'Annie situations, but... I wanted that story to be a little realistic, and, you know just like me that we don't fall in love with someone just like that ! It takes time (if it happens). It is the same here. So, I'm sorry for that, too, but this is a thing I won't change. If you want those kind of things, just read at my "More and More" compilation of Mik'Annie things...**_

 _ **Okay, now I should really stop here ! Happy reading, people, and thanks for the reviews and support some of you are bringing me.**_

 _ **With Peace and Love,**_

 _ **Lorris.**_

 _ **Chapter 5**_

A few days had passed since the cleaning of the refectory, and yet, Annie and Mikasa never had exchanged a word ever since then.

There were looks, though. A lot. Persistent. Steady. It was as if they were both searching for each others' eyes constantly, but both looking away as soon as they finally met. And sometimes, we could even talk about smiles.

Okay, they were discreet and clumsy – and really awkward sometimes – but they were smiles, still. And Mikasa's smiles were... well, they were so damn cute.

No. Not cute. Appealing. And it was at this moment that Annie realized that maybe – just maybe – she was some kind of... attracted to the girl, even more than she could admit to herself.

Let's say that she didn't really know what love could truly be.

Despite what some boys and girls could think inside the military camp, Annie was not lesbian. Well, she wasn't straight either, actually. It's just that she'd never experienced that kind of things with a boy or a girl before; emotionally or physically. And she'd never really thought about it in the past, anyway.

Feelings were something unknown for Annie. She had grown without a mother, and, so, was raised by her father. That man... wasn't the loving type. He never demonstrated affection for her, and he just raised Annie more like a pupil than like his own daughter.

He wasn't a bad man for all that, though, but his wife's death just made him sourpuss, and Annie suffered from his lack of consideration during years.

It was clear that if she wanted to be loved by him, she had to fight. So, she did it.

It was the real first time they shared something together. Annie was happy.

He learnt her martial arts and how to become stronger. But mostly, he learnt her how to jail her feelings someplace, because, and it was his words, 'feelings corrupted pure hearts, and drove people weakened'. So Annie let him brainwashed her to become stronger. And with that, she learnt how to annihilate all those poisonous thoughts – his words again – a girl of her age could have.

But she was obviously lying to herself. She wasn't the unfeeling warrior her father wanted her to be.

Now she was simply destitute by a simple smile, shuddering under that so disarming look Mikasa Ackerman gave her so many often... And it only made the mission more difficult to fulfill, because her mind was in a total mess.

Damn it. What was that fucking feeling inside her guts that pointed its nose everytime she thought about that girl ?

"Leonhardt, you'll be on the team number four," Rico's voice announced, putting Annie out of her thoughts. The girl blinked at her fatuously. Yeah, she didn't really pay attention on what she was saying before... Again. And Rico noticed that. The woman rolled her eyes and sighed noisily. "You'll team up with Ackerman, Carolina, and Lenz."

"Oh, come on, it must be a joke !" Mina Carolina's voice exclaimed from the crowd, making Annie turn at the girl and gaze at her in deadpan. "Instructor," she called, proudly rising her hand to make herself noticed from the woman. "Instructor, please ?"

Rico's face lowered, and she looked down at her. "Yes, Mina ?" she asked in an exasperate curiousity.

"Can I change my team, please ?" the girl asked in annoyance. She could have tolerate Mikasa or Krista, but Annie ? Seriously ? It was too much for her. She didn't want to share anything with that weird girl.

"Negative, recruit." The answer made the effect of a bomb on Mina, and Annie smirked at the stunned expression she made.

"But-"

"No buts, Carolina," the woman cut severely. "If you have some problems with your comrades, then you should take that drill as an occasion to resolve them."

"Great..." the girl breathed as she craned her head back in a sigh. "That's all I needed !"

* * *

The girls were walking since more than two hours now, and it was almost sundown. Mina Carolina complained all the way through, and Annie was really tired to hear her. She had to fight against herself to not strangle her a few times. That girl was so talkative it was a real pain in the ass for everyone. Or, at least, for Annie.

"Seriously, why do we only have knives to survive ?" she exclaimed in a noisily sigh, making big gestures to demonstrate her displeasure. "I mean, we're surrounded by mountains, we could fall on a bear ! How are we supposed to get through it if it happens ?"

Seeing that nobody answered, Krista took the floor, because she just didn't like when people ignored others. "Come on, Mina," she breathed with a nervous smile. "Don't be that pessimistic. It's just a walk into some woods. It's fine," she said to be friendly.

But Mina scoffed at her sentence. "I'm not pessimistic ! You're just so naive," she replied as she rolled her eyes. "And on top of that, I feel like we're being tracked."

At that sentence, Mikasa raised her eyes from the map she was studying. She had to admit that she had a strange feeling too, but they were in nature, after all. It could be a lot of things.

"Must be wolves, then," Annie stated in a neutral tone, and the Eurasian lowered her eyes anew on the piece of paper she had.

Krista's little body tensed all of a sudden. "W-Wolves ?" she repeated, feeling anxiety cross her spine in a thrill. "Seriously ?" She instinctively get herself closer to Annie, looking over her shoulder a few hundred of times in a minute.

"Don't worry," the taller blond said to her when she surprised her doing that. "As long as we're together in a group, we'll be okay."

Krista turned her head and smiled at her. She wasn't really trusting those words at one hundred percent, but Annie's attempt was cute, and it helped her to win back some fortitude, anyway.

"Tch, rubbish !" Mina hissed scornly, discontented by the answer. "If they're truly wolves, then we're already dead, idiot !"

Annie closed her eyes and frowned. Mina was getting on her nerves. "I know what I'm saying," she spat to defend her credibility, clenching her teeth as she tried to retain herself to say something.

"And I know it's bullshit !" the girl exclaimed vigorously. "There's a lot of campers who get devoured by wolves while they were two times more plentiful than us !"

"You're the one that says bullshit," Annie cut in a noisily sigh. "A wolf doesn't attack humans without any reason."

"And how do you know that, miss-know-it-all ?" Mina shouted, ceasing to walk as she turned to the taller blond. "Wanna bet ?"

Annie stopped too, and entered in her game. "No, no need," she spat with annoyance, her eyes fulled of hatred. "If it turned bad, be sure I'll drop your fucking body right in the maw of those beasts just to clear myself off in peace and quiet."

The target of that threat opened her mouth in disbelief at first, but finally smirked at her as she wanted to pay not attention on what Annie was saying. "You're a real stupid bitch, you know that ?"

The blond shook her head, biting her lower lip in both anger and amusement. "Screw you," she replied bitterly.

Krista opened her eyes wide at the hearing of this and raised her arms in the air. "Hey, easy, girls..." she breathed, placing her hands in a way that meant 'time out' to make the girls shush. But in vain...

"Just fuck off, Leonhardt !" Mina spat in anger, pointing a finger on Annie's shape to target her personally.

"You fuck off, Carolina !"

The girl crossed her arms on her chest, smirking proudly as she was driving her comrade crazy so easily. Damn, Annie was so easy to tease. "Ironing board !" she spat in an almost inaudible tone, her smile widen to her ears.

"W-Wha- ?" Annie stammered, stupefied. What was that ? It had nothing to do with it ! She felt her blood boiled inside her veins. Man, that kind of remark about her breasts size was going to piss her off. She hated pure evil things. "Damn, Carolina, I swear I'm gonna kick your fucking-"

"Jesus fucking Christ !" Mikasa shouted as she turned herself towards the two girls, her face contorted by irritation. "Enough of this !" She hit Mina Carolina's head with the map she had rolled up on itself, and Annie smirked to mock the girl proudly, before she received the same correction too. "You too, Annie."

"Hey !" the blond groaned, massaging the back of her head. "She started this !"

Mikasa looked at her with stern eyes, and it made the blond tense a little. When she remembered the sensation of an Ackerman punch right in the nose, she instantly forgot the idea to argue with the girl. She raised her arms in the air, defeated, and sighed. "Fine," she stated as she started to walk, Krista following her steps hesitantly.

The petite blond gave a worry look on Mikasa.

The Eurasian shook her head. Was she in the army, or was it babysitting ? She perfectly knew the kind of relationship – or, rather, the lack of relationship – the girls had, but still, it was annoying.

Mina could be a teaser just as much as she could be a bitch, sometimes, yeah, Mikasa knew that. She knew that Mina hated Annie for only-God-knows-why, and that Annie hated Mina because this girl hated her. It was completely stupid. Their reactions were stupid.

The two girls were not that bad, deep down them, though. But Mikasa didn't want to play the mediator.

"Annie," the brunette called softly. The blond slowed down a bit, hearing what her comrade had to say. "Don't go too far, please," Mikasa recommended, putting a hand on her hips. "The night is falling, we should set up a camp."

Annie hummed in the distance, and kept walking. Mina gave a look at Mikasa and smirked as she crossed her arms on her chest. "I think you should put her a leash," she breathed sarcastically, laughing at her own joke.

"And I think I should put you a gag," Mikasa answered back, not amused.


	6. Chapter VI

_**Chapter 6**_

It didn't take long for the girls to set up a camp that night, since they only had to find an open space and some branches to make a fire.

No sooner had she rested her head on her bag that Krista instantly fell asleep just like that, on the hard grassy ground. She had her mouth full open, mumbling things from time to time in a stupid smile that made Mina sighed as she stepped over the puny blond's body. She scoffed at how beautiful girls could be so unglamourous sometimes before she laid on the ground near the fire, right next to Mikasa. She positioned herself so that her head could be supported by her arms crossed and she yawned as she closed her eyes.

The Eurasian was staring at the crackling wood in silence. She hugged her knees and had her nose covered with her scarf, but it was more to protect herself than to warm her up. This position was just a natural reflex she'd kept since years, and she didn't really realize that she curled herself in a ball so many often.

Annie was there, too, not far away from them. She was leaning back against a tree, hands in the pockets of her jacket and the head buried into the hood of her sweatshirt. She was used to do this everytime she wanted to have some peace and quiet when she was in what she called an 'hostile land'. And, with Mina around, she swore that she was, actually.

She was looking at the starry sky, playing with the ring on her finger with her thumb.

Feeling that little fragment of silver helped her to relax, despite the deadly symbolic it could represent... At first, it was a gift from her father, and the only remains of this woman Annie didn't remember to have called 'mom' once in her whole life.

Did she miss the woman ? No. Not really. She didn't really know how she looked like, anyway. She had saw a picture, one day, but it was completely by chance. And it was hardly for a second before her father snatched it out of her hands. So she didn't even remember if she was pretty or not. The only thing she knew was that her mother was blond, just like her. That was all. And in a way, that was all for the best.

Why should she feel sad about someone she had never really known ? Should she feel ashamed not to feel the slightest sadness for her deceased mother ? Because Annie didn't. And she was fine with that since it was her father's will. The man made everything he could to prevent Annie from suffering the absence of a mother. No picture. No story. No respite. Just fighting and survival.

And it worked. But not for those reasons.

When she was younger, Annie didn't understand why, at first, because she was a capricious and bad-tempered child who hated her father for all the privations she'd had to endure under his education. But when she became more mature and finally had perspective, she could make the connection with her father's obsessions. It was not cruelty. It was distress. He was probably suffering a lot from that tragic loss, and all those excessive trainings were just excuses to keep his mind off things, not hers, actually.

It took time before she realized it but... he could never overcome the death of his wife, and it was Annie's duty to ease his suffering. And so she did, until she had to leave.

She closed her eyes as the memories kept flowing on her mind. Go back home. Saw her father. Be outside those walls, far, far away from those people she didn't want to melt with... That was what she craved.

She sighed, still playing with the ring inside her pocket, waiting for her mind to stop its activity so she could finally fall asleep.

A few minutes later, her head felt heavy and started to sway.

* * *

"Should I wake her up ?" Krista demanded hesitantly at Mikasa as she was staring at Annie's body with a tender smile on her lips.

The Eurasian lowered her eyes on the taller blond who was still sitting against a tree. Her legs were apart, her arms dangling, and the head half-concealed by the hood she put on her face... She smiled. Annie seemed so peaceful when she was sleeping, she almost felt guilty to awaken her that early. But they really had to go now. A long day of walking awaited them.

"Yes," Mikasa finally replied as she put her heavy bag on her back. "Today's gonna be a long day."

Krista nodded and was about to head to the sleeping blond when Mina suddenly pushed her to take her place beside Annie. "Let me do this," she proposed with a smirk on her lips.

The little blond sighed because she saw the mischievous smile on her lips, and put her hands on her hips. "Be nice," she breathed as she shook her head in disapproval when she heard Mina's answer.

"You know me," the other girl had said.

Mina took the flask that was tying at her belt and uncorked it carefully, trying not to make any more noise than necessary. Giggling, she placed herself right in front of Annie's face with the flask between her legs and squeezed on the thing.

"Wake up, bitch," Mina hissed to her with an obvious disregard. "You've slept enough."

The spurt of water directly splashed on Annie's face, and the blond jumped from her seat in a squeak as she put a hand before her eyes to protect herself from the attack.

When it stopped, Annie was standing on her butt with her mouth full open, clearly in shock. She dared not to move, knowing not what had just happen, and started to tremble as the liquid flowed on her skin, feeling so cold on her cheeks and neck.

Mikasa instinctively gave a worry look at Annie. She saw that sparkle in her blue eyes; it was brief, but real enough for her to notice and she knew what it meant. The girl tried to hid it, but the brunette knew she was furious.

"Just look at your face !" Mina spat in a laugh, taping one of her legs with her palm. "It was epic !"

Krista glared at Mina with a discontented look and knelt down beside Annie. She handed her a tissue, but the other blond just rejected her with a wave of a hand. Annie, then, slowly passed a palm on her face to dry herself off.

She felt... insulted. And angry.

She raised some cold eyes on the girl in front of her, clenching her teeth while Mina was staring at her with that so fucking loudest air of hers, a hand on her hip as she was smirking proudly.

"What are you staring at ?" she demanded in a rise of her eyebrows. "Come on, blondie, just shake a leg," she said in a bossy tone, trying to dominate her with the darkest look she could give.

Annie stood on her feet vigorously, furiously glaring at Mina. She was pretty skilled to hide her feelings but, damn, inside of her was a wave of pure fury that was flowing beneath her skin. It made her heart raced in full speed and the vein in her throat throbbing violently as she was trying to remain impassive. A voice inside her brain was saying 'go ahead, just punch her', and Annie clenched her fists naturally to prepare herself to do so, but her eyes met Mikasa's in the process – who knows why ? – and the terrible look she gave her made Annie instantly froze to think about it twice. It was an 'I-know-what-you're-thinking-and-it's-a-very-bad-idea' look. Damn, Annie was torn between her hatred for Mina, and the respect she had towards Mikasa.

She closed her eyes and sighed noisily with her nose. Fuck it. She couldn't do this. She couldn't obey her feelings' orders because it could only make things worsen, and Mikasa would be mad at her. She will probably tell Rico about her tendencies to put everyone into a fight and she might be expelled... She'd played enough; she just couldn't react so thin-skinned now. She had no right to forget the mission she had to fulfill – even if Reiner was always there to harp on about it every fucking day...

So she made her way to her bag, pushing Mina with a blow of the shoulder on the process as she skirted not her shape that was still standing straight ahead.

"I'll send you to hell, one day," Annie hissed with disgust in a low voice when she passed her, making Mina to scoff.

Mikasa sighed in relief when she'd had the confirmation that Annie wouldn't look for a fight this time. It was... almost impressive. The blond really was a bad-tempered girl sometimes, and she easily came to blows when she felt annoyed. But sometimes, though, she made some efforts to control herself, just like right now. Annie was just like a wild animal, actually, but every beast could be tamed, right ?

Maybe it was because of Mikasa's words in the canteen. Annie tried to play the wise guy there, but maybe she was listening to her, after all. Maybe she wasn't that stubborn and stupid girl we told her she was.

Mikasa smiled inwardly. It was good to realize that.

* * *

Rico's exercise was pretty simple. One team. One map. The four girls had to go through the forest to find a village at around three days of walking from the camp. They only had a knife, a compass, and an heavy bag full of sand on their shoulders to travel. No food, no tent, no sleeping bag... it was a survival test to evaluate the stamina and the psychological state of the recruits.

Mikasa was in charge of the expedition. It wasn't surprising. Everybody said she was Rico's favourite, but some people like Annie, or even Krista, knew that she deserved to be a leader. Mikasa was the most qualified one for that, because she had good head on her shoulders, a lot of self-control and a pretty good sense of direction. She was calm but sharp-minded, and, of course, had a team spirit. It made Mikasa look so... domineering. Annie found that appealing, at some point.

As she was walking behind her comrades, the blond wet her lips. She couldn't help but stare at that long pair of thin legs that were moving right in front of her eyes with an hypnosis pace. She raised her eyes, the pupils delated as she was devouring every inch of her behind with a certain guilt. She chewed her lower lip nervously, trying to detach her eyes from that hot body. But the more she tried to avoid it, the more she felt tempted to stare at it.

She felt pathetic. She hated those feelings inside her, like that stupid knot on her stomach or the way her hands were driving so clammy every time that girl – or that fucking body – was in her field of vision. It hurt. Somewhere deep. Somewhere down.

Damn it. She mentally slapped herself. She wanted to scream. She wanted to burst her eyes so that she couldn't see her and feel that way anymore. It was really annoying, and Annie hated annoying things.

She put a hand on her face to rub her vicious eyes and almost bumped into Mikasa's back when she re-opened them. Thanks to her reflex, she didn't.

In front of them was a giant bridge. Mikasa looked at the map and remained silent for a while, her thumb and index finger wrapping her chin. Judging by the frown she was making, Annie supposed that something was wrong, so she get closer to the girl to take a look on the piece of paper.

"What now ?" Mina lamented as she rolled her eyes. "Please, don't tell me we're lost !" she added as she let her arms dangling along her sides in a desperate sigh.

"We're not," Mikasa replied in a harsh voice. She sighed before turning her head to Annie, and her tone soften a bit when she spoke to her. "Say... what do you think ?" she asked to the blond as she searched for her blue eyes.

Annie tilted her head and put one of her strands back behind her ear. She seemed to think about it for a minute, and Mikasa's lips curved in a discreet smile when she stared at her profile.

Annie's nose was hooked, and her jaw was kind of broad, but there was something really feminine in her face. The blondness of her hair and the cerulean blue of her eyes just lighten her features in a way that made her both strong and soft in the same time.

Annie wasn't exactly the stunner type, but Mikasa thought that she sure had a lot of charms.

"Well," the hoarse voice of Annie cut suddenly, making Mikasa turned her head in a clearing of her throat. "That's the path we have to follow, but... I don't know. Something's wrong with that," she said as she walked to the suspension bridge. "I won't take the risk to climb on it," she breathed as she was bumping the wooden planks with one of her feet. "It's probably dating from a long-standing, and it's full of gaps... This way is a bad idea, in my opinion."

"I agree," Krista added, facing the void that was below. "Maybe it could resist, but if not, we're all dead."

Mikasa noisily sighed and nodded. They had to find another way. "We should go, now. We don't know how much time it will take to bypass it."

Oh ? No complaint ? It was weird. Where was Mina ?

Annie searched for her and sighed in annoyance as she met her, at around twenty meters from them. She didn't seem to bother with that little problem, because she seemed too preoccupied with her feet to listen to the conversation they had.

Mina removed her boots to chase the sand away from it, and put her ass on the ground to massage her painful feet in a groan. Fucking leather boots and sun and blisters.

"Oye, Carolina !" Annie spat unfriendly to her. The girl gave a disregard look at her. "Just get a move on, and lead the march for once."

Mina scoffed at her comment and replied with a simple 'Fuck you'. It was rare, but she was too tired to even argue at that precise moment.

As she was about to cross the brigde, Krista's voice stopped her dead, and the girl blinked a few times before the blond came to her in a rush.

"Watch out, Mina !" the girl exclaimed as she bend over, putting her hands on her knees as she was out of breath. "The bridge is not steady ! You could have fall !" she almost shouted.

Mina vigorously turned on Annie, glaring at her with amazement. "You dirty idiot !" she spat in anger as she stood straight before the little blond. "What's your fucking problem, Leonhardt !?"

Annie didn't flinch and looked at her in deadpan. She wasn't impressed by her taller height at all and put a hand on her hips. "I just wanted to check if you could make yourself useful for once."


	7. Chapter VII

_**A.N : Zouboss, thank you very much for all your comments and support since the beginning of this. It's always a pleasure to read and to realize that you're still here after those chapters. I hope you'll see the end of this, and I'm glad that you find interesting the way I describe Mina here.**_

 _ **Anyway... this is the next chapter. It's a little slow, I know, but it'll be more 'lively' soon. As always, I wish you a good reading, and see you soon !**_

 _ **Oh ! And Merry Christmas and happy New Year, people.**_

* * *

Bypass the bridge forced them to walk along the deep ravine until they had to return to the forest. It was a long detour but they had no other choice than this one if they wanted to arrive at the destination alive.

Mikasa was still walking in front of the group, followed by Mina, with Annie at two or three meters behind. No one seemed to really pay attention on it, but Krista was not there since a moment, already.

Annie gave a quick look over her shoulder to analyze the road behind her. Far away was a little shape, walking slowly, and almost stumbling. Annie stopped and frowned. She wanted so badly to ignore her. She felt so annoyed to care about the others because, well, everyone had their own problems, so why did she call Mikasa in that so concerned tone to make her react ?

The Eurasian stopped and turned her head with a surprised look painted on her face. "Yes ?" she demanded in a soft voice over her shoulder.

Annie hesitated a moment. She wanted to swallow the words that came in her mouth because, somewhere, she found herself ridiculous to play the do-gooder. Why did it matter, so suddenly ? She sighed quietly. "Can we stop a minute ?" she finally asked in a fake neutral tone – because, in a certain way, she felt concerned. She pointed a finger behind her to target something. Or someone, as it happens. "Seems like Krista has some trouble to follow us."

Mikasa completely turned herself to face Annie and gave a look at the other blond. "Oh," she exclaimed when she realized that she didn't pay any attention at the girl. "Sure."

After a few seconds, Krista finally joined them, her face reddened by the heat of the sun, the long walking, and the shame because, hell, there were too many pairs of eyes on her right now.

Mikasa tilted her head and frowned. "Are you okay ?" she demanded softly before crossing her arms on her chest. She shook her head horizontaly. "I'm sorry, I haven't notice you were so tired," she added with guilt. "Do you want to have a rest ?"

Krista felt the temperature of her cheeks to rise. Being the numbskull of the group was the latest thing she wanted, even if it was clearly obvious that she couldn't equal her partners when it came to physical condition. That was one of the reasons she feared to be on this team. She was with the two female monsters of the 104th, Mikasa Ackerman and Annie Leonhardt. But Mina wasn't bad at all either. That being said, Krista feared her for another reason... The gossiping, the mocking, the nastiness... she wasn't really comfortable with those kind of girls around, actually. And she knew that being weak would let an opportunity for Mina to make fun of her. She shook her head.

"No, I'm fine, Mikasa," she finally said in a bright smile. "Thank you."

"You sure ?" Mina demanded without even taking the trouble to hide her annoyance. "Because it seems like you're going to pass out, and I don't wanna to be the one who carry you on my back, okay ?"

"N-No !" Krista gave tit for tat. It was almost a shout and she grimaced at that because she didn't want her voice to be that high. "I'm fine ! No one will carry me."

Mina leaned herself over to ogle at the blond suspiciously. "Really ? We'll see about that," she hissed haughtily as she stood up straight, putting her hands on her hips. "Anyway, I need to rest a bit, thank you for asking me, girls," she sighed noisily. "I've got some sand in my shoe !"

"Again ?" Annie exclaimed with a rise of a brow, facing her. "How is it even possible with those top boots ?"

"Hey, I don't know, okay ?" Mina shouted to defend herself from the accusing tone of Annie. "But it's fucking unpleasant !"

"You might have a crack somewhere," Mikasa added with an obvious lack of interest. "Find it and settle this. We won't stop everytime you'll have this problem, Mina."

* * *

The girls had took up the walking again since a few dozen of minutes now, but Annie's eyes never left Krista's steps. She knew that the girl was trying to do her best to follow suit but Krista Lenz wasn't the sporty type; she was unable to do it and she was just overdoing things.

For Annie, it was not an act of courage, it was pure stupidity.

She sighed when she saw the frail blond to stop several times behind. Feeling some pity – or was it compassion ? – she came to her, and stretched an arm to the gal.

Krista lifted her eyes on her with a questioning look. She didn't understand why Annie was offering her a hand.

"Your bag," Annie said in a neutral tone.

The little blond blinked at her fatuously. "W-What ?" she asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Your bag," Annie repeated in the exact same tone. "It's too heavy for you. Remove it."

The girl made a face. "No," she said coldly, almost offended. "I can do it." She forced a smile and was about to thank Annie for her concern, but the other blond cut her abruptly.

"No, you can't," she said a little too harshly, making Krista's heart to skip a beat. "Because you're weak and it's stupid to push on your force like you do."

Krista felt electricity crossed her spine as her cheeks reddened once more. She lowered her eyes in shame and embarrassment. The words hit her like a slap in the face. They were severe and cold, but she knew they were damn real.

The indignation she felt compressed her heart as if somebody was happily crushing it with his own hands, until she knelt to cry from suffering. She felt like crap, unable to accomplish something as simple as that, and she closed her eyes to retain her tears from flowing.

Annie gently sighed with her nose. "You don't have to be ashamed of your physical condition," she breathed in deadpan, searching her words to be reassuring. "We all have our weaknesses," she said, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly. "Most of the time, those who didn't have a strong body have a strong spirit instead. It's a good thing, but you should remember that our wishes can't make the all job itself." She raised an eyebrow then. Was it the best thing to say ?

Krista dived her eyes into Annie's. Annie looked away and swallowed hard. It made Krista smiled softly as she realised that there was no malice in those orbs. No mocking. Nor judgement either. It was just a pair of eyes looking at another's without anything but respect inside. It soothed her soul. Annie was not a bad person, but Krista already knew it.

"I can carry it along a few kilometers," the taller blond suggested with an odd neutrality. "So you'll be able to ease your scapulas during that time. Tonight, though, you should put some hot water on your shoulders if it still injured. It's a good natural unwinding."

Krista didn't dare to move. She was laping everything Annie said. So when the taller blond seized her bag to pull it out of her fragile arms, she jumped of surprise and stared at her fatuously, her eyes still wet.

Annie stopped herself and offered her a questioning look, but Krista finally nodded slowly – awkwardly – giving her a silent permission.

Once that the bag was putting on the ground, Annie knelt down to pick up the little bags of sand and started to transfer them in her own. Eleven bags. Eleven kilograms.

Krista was watching her, bereft. She clenched her fists. She didn't want her to carry every of those, but she had enough. It was too heavy for her body. Her back was aching so much... The only thing she was able to say was something like 'Sorry'. It was a breath. Distant and bitter.

Annie didn't raise her eyes on her to answer. She could understand; she knew the feeling too much. "Don't be," she simply said softly while straightening up. "Just do what you can."

Then, she inclined herself to lift the bag but, fuck, a sensation of pins and needles crossed her backbone, making her clenched her teeth to swallow a shout of pain. Damn it, that was fucking heavy !

Annie cursed herself for having offered a helping hand at Krista, but she clearly hated herself more now that she realized the situation she'd put herself into. What did she say already ? Oh, yeah, it was something like 'remember that our wishes can't make the all job itself.' Annie slapped herself mentally. She was really stupid sometimes. She really should think before speaking. Twenty-two kilograms were heavy. Of course. But she couldn't go back now, because, well, where would be her pride if she did ? She had to take it on now. To face her fucking words.

"Flex your legs," a voice suddenly recommended sternly, interrupting her as she was bending her back.

Annie turned her head towards the sound. It was Mikasa, with Mina on her heels.

"You will break your back if you lift it that way," the Eurasian spoke severely. Then, she knelt down and pulled her bag out of her arms. "Come on, don't carry it alone, Annie. It's too heavy, even for you. Let us help," she added in a smile that made Annie's heart imploded inside her chest. That smile was so fucking adorable.

"Yeah," Mina added before she threw her bag on the ground. "Gimme some, too," she sighed in annoyance. She turned towards Krista and put a hand on her hip with a stern expression on the face. "Seriously, Kris', why didn't you tell us that it was too heavy for you ?" she asked, jaded. "We could have help you, idiot !"

Krista felt her face flushed harder. She didn't want to bother her comrades, but, in the end, it became everybody's business. She really was a numbskull.


	8. Chapter VIII

"Do you fucking see what I'm seeing right over there, girls ?" Mina spoke as she joined her both hands together with a grin painted on the face. "It's a fucking house !" Her smile extended and she got a move on to go down the forest path. "Come on, hurry up !" she exclaimed from further down with impatience. "I'm starving to death !"

"Mina, wait !" Krista hailed at her. "We can't-" but she didn't have time to finish her sentence because Mina was already gone. "Damn it, she can't disturb people like that !" the blond stated with a disconcerted look before she decided to catch her up.

Mikasa was now alone with Annie and gave her a look. She smiled when she met her cerulean eyes, and the blond returned it with a discreet curve of the lips before they both decided to follow the girls in a silent agreement.

It really had been a real reward for everyone when the small hut had appeared in their field of vision below the road.

After all those hours of long walking without a real rest and nothing in their stomachs, the four girls were exhausted and craving for a bed and some food, whatever it was...

Mina knocked on the wooden door. Once. Twice. Nobody answered to her. "Hello ?" she finally called as she seized the latch with her fingers. "We're sorry to bother you, but we're cadets of the Military Trost Academy and we're searching for a place to rest. Can we come in ?"

In front of the silence they received as a response, Krista decided to discreetly look out the window. As expected, there was no sign of life inside the house. She turned towards Mina and frowned. "Maybe we shouldn't enter," she recommended as she bit her lower lip with apprehension. "If there is somebody-"

"So what ?" Mina retorted, annoyed. "We're wearing a military uniform, they can't kick us out."

"Yeah, but-"

"Krista," the girl cut harshly. "If you want to stay outside, then it's your fucking problem," she said hautily. "But, for my part, I'm going inside this hut, because I'm bushed and hungry." She knocked again one last time and finally opened the door.

Once again, Mina called for someone, and once again, nobody answered, so, she decided to put herself at ease. She threw her bag on the floor and sighed with a hand on her stomach. "Ugh, hungry..." she whined as she walked towards the kitchen part.

Krista had followed her inside, but she was not that audacious. No matter how the sun shined outside, the wooden house was dark behind its four walls. It was... creepy. Especially when she took a look at the ornament of the place.

It was a little gloomy but she could see a deer's bust been hanging above a fireplace, and all around it were a lot of weapons like : handsaw, axe, bow, or rifle... Krista felt a shiver crossed her spine, and swallowed hard in anxiety. "Okay, we shouldn't have entered," she confirmed nervously, hugging her own chest to reassure herself.

"What ? Are you scared ?" Mina teased as she gave an amused look at Krista. The girl seemed so scary that she couldn't resist to make fun of her... "Hmm, well, maybe it's the house of a dangerous psycopath," she added seriously, slowly sneaking herself behind Krista. "Just look at all those scary killing tools on the wall," she murmured, retaining herself to laugh so badly. "Maybe it's that guy I heard about at the camp... a serial killer who set his sights on blond women to kill them in cold blood..." Seriously, who could believe that ?

But Krista froze instantly at those words, and Mina took the opportunity to put her hands on the blond's shoulders, making her jump in a squeak.

"D-Damn it, Mina ! Don't do that !" she screamed with her heart racing. "I don't believe you ! You're simply trying to make fun of me... right ?" she asked with big credulous eyes. But in front of Mina's serious expression, the doubt and the fear just distorted her face more that it already was. "Right ?" she repeated once again in a nervous smile.

"There's no such a killer here," Annie stated as she entered the house in deadpan. "We're in a military area. Mina is just a stupid girl trying to give you jitters. Take a look around you, Krista. It seems like a hunter's hut."

Mina rolled her eyes and sighed. "Man, you're such a killjoy, Leonhardt," she said with annoyance as she returned in the kitchen. "But, well, if you're right, there might have to be something to eat somewhere, then."

Annie shrugged. She put her bag on the floor and made some movements with her shoulders to relieve them. She wasn't a wimp but she had to admit that she was tired. And hungry. So much...

She raised her eyes and locked them with the animal's head hanging above the fireplace. She narrowed them, looking strangely at it with both curiousity and a bit of grief. She felt... kind of sad to see that. She didn't understand how people could just exposed some innocent beasts by way of trophy like that. It was just disgusting and cruel.  
Maybe Annie was a strange girl to think like that but she simply abhorred the fact that some people took perverse pleasure in killing animals. She could have see a human's head hanging on the wall that it would have been less appaling for her than this poor inoffensive thing.

She hated human kind for that. They were stupid. Vulgar. Selfish. And Cruel.

Anyhow, they were all going to die one of these days.

"Ugh, seriously, there's nothing to eat in that fucking shed !" Mina complained as she violently closed the piece of furniture's door, pulling Annie out of her thoughts. "No water either... damn, my flask is empty and I have an almighty thirst !"

"Why don't you just go pick us some water, then ?" Mikasa's voice spoke sternly as she appeared from the entrance. "There's a river not far away from here. Take our flasks and fill them, would you ?"

"And why me ?" she demanded before the silence fell between them. Then, she met the Eurasian's eyes. The place was dark, but she could perfectly see, and if not, totally imagine the coldness in those slanting brown orbs staring at hers. "Hm, sure..." she finally stated in a sigh without any reluctance. She took all the flasks and, since Krista's bag was empty, took it from her and pulled the flasks inside before frowning. "Well, I'm going," she spat once she was ready, a little jaded and frustrated. She headed to the entrance and then stopped suddenly. She turned herself, and, hesitant, she smiled stupidly before asking : "Hum... where's the river, already ?"

Mikasa crossed her arms on her chest and sighed noisily. "Follow the small stream, in the North's direction. There's probably a stretch of water upstream. And it should be drinkable."

Mina frowned harder. She didn't really know where it was exactly but she just... didn't dare to ask again. And it wasn't that complicated to find a river in the middle of the woods, since she only had to follow the water path, right ?

She stepped out of the house, alone. Seriously, she wasn't that stupid. Of course she could do it on her own. She just had to follow the North until she finds it. It was simple.

But... where was North from here, already ?

* * *

Mikasa appreciated Mina's devotion – even if it was a little under duress – but still, she didn't feel really confident about her sens of direction. She had saw her face, her hesitation, and she doubted she could do it properly. So she turned towards Annie, and called at her.

Her tone was harder than she wanted.

"Hm ?" the blond replied back with a rise of her brows.

"I want you to escort Mina," the Eurasian said sternly, her eyes glaring at the blue ones. "I don't want something bad happens to her. So could you do it, please ?"

Annie's brows returned to their normal position, in a perfect aligning that made her face as neutral as usual. She gave her approval with a nod and instantly left the house without a word. She wasn't angry or what. Of course she wasn't enjoying herself to be forced to share some time with that girl, more time than she could support, but she didn't protest.

Once that she was outside, she caught sight of Mina, somewhere on the right. Annie sighed because things were already annoying and it was just the beginning...

"Carolina," she called, making the girl turned her head in her direction. "Where are you going ?" she asked, putting a hand on her hips. "The river's over there," she pointed the other direction with her finger.

Mina felt her cheeks becoming red and tried to hide her embarrassment. "Y-Yeah," she stammered nervously. "Of course it's there ! I knew it," she assured almost proudly, crossing her arms on her chest. "Who do you think I am ?"

Annie shrugged. "Well, Mikasa send me to babysit you and it fucking annoys me, so move yourself and don't separate from me until we're back here, you hear ?" she stated with no real conviction. And with that, she turned on her heels and left the area, awaiting not for Mina's answer.

"Hey, can't you just fucking wait for me, damn it !?" Mina's voice called from behind. Annie stopped and craned her head backwards in an attempt to stay calm and patient. "Jesus, you really don't give a damn shit about the others, don't you ?"

Annie sneered at her comment, shaking her head in disbelief.

"What's so funny ?" Mina asked once she was at her sides.

Annie didn't turn herself towards her, but looked at her with the corner of her eyes. "Well, I was just thinking that you're a fine one to talk !" she replied honestly.

"Yeah ?" the girl spat, indifferent at her words and their significations. "But I'm not the one whose trying to shake off my comrade in the middle of nowhere," she added proudly, without any shame to get to play the hero. "This, is a perfect 'Annie thing'."

Annie laughed at that. She had to admit that, sometimes, Mina could be a little... funny. She finally raised her eyes on her to consider the girl. "The river is a stone's throw from the shed, Mina. You can't lose your bearings, actually," she explained before walking anew.

Mina sneered at her turn and started to follow her. "And what if I had met a bear ?" she suggested seriously.

Annie shook her head and smiled discreetly. What was her problem with bears ?

"What if it would have eat me, huh ?" she added in a fake dejected tone. "Are you that cold-hearted, Annie ?" she put a hand on her heart to simulate pain, overdoing the situation with a smirk in the corner of her lips.

The blond held her hands up in the air and joined them together in a sigh. "Well, lucky me, you're still alive," she said in an ironic way.

Mina stopped herself and sighed. "Do you always have to be that cynical, Annie ? I'm serious," she admitted with an horizontal move of her head. Her voice lowered until it became a whisper. "I really wonder how Bertholdt could like someone like her..."

Annie's steps slow down a bit until she stopped walking. It was a whisper, but she perfectly heard what it was said. Her jaw instantly clenched and she frowned her brows in irritation.

She didn't turn around to face Mina when she spoke, but she sighed noisily with her nose before opening the mouth.

"Leave Bertholdt out of this," she threatened bitterly, hoping to put an end to the conversation easily.

"Why ? We can't talk about your boyfriend ?" Mina spat in a provocative tone of voice, a smirk painting on the face as she took perverse pleasure in pushing her over the edge.

Annie scoffed at first, replacing some of her hair away of her eyes. She felt nervous, but if you didn't know Annie enough, you couldn't perceive the signs that let you know she was. She had that knot inside her stomach, so tight, with heat burning her throat as her heart tried to escape from her chest... The feeling was unpleasant, and she suddenly remembered something she had almost forgotten: how she really felt about Bertholdt.

The oppressive air in which she was stifling made her suddenly realized how much she hated him inside. Deep, deep inside her. She didn't want it to be this way, but she couldn't help it, this was how she really felt about him today. She knew the boy since a long time, liked him like a brother, trusted him more than she could even trust herself, and then, he had just ruined everything with a few simple words. _I love you_. Damn those fucking words. Annie had tried to ignore them, though, to tell herself that nothing had changed. But _everything_ had changed. Bertholdt's eyes were not the same to look at since that day. The sparkle that was flaming inside of his dark orbs was standing here because of the feelings he felt for her, no more, no less. His affection couldn't be just the same as before. His touches couldn't be as innocent as they were until then, and Annie hated him for having being so selfish towards her. Towards their friendship.

"Well, you don't need to say it," Mina spoke, chasing Annie from her thoughts. "Since it's kinda obvious just by the way he looks at you. The poor guy is blind..."

"So what ?" Annie finally answered once she get herself back together. "Are you jealous ?"

Mina's eyes widened instantly when she heard the blond's words. Jealousy. She let her eyes fleeing Annie's and lowered her head in embarrassment. She felt... a little upset and ashamed because it was not something she was totally proud of. It was... kind of hard for her to assume it, already, but even worse to realize that Annie Leonhardt now got the facts.

She chewed her lips endlessly, cheeks red as she tried to keep her composure.

"No way," Annie breathed as her lips curved into a smirk she didn't care to put on display. "You're even more stupid than I thought."

Mina scoffed bitterly at the insult. "Yeah, go ahead, Annie, laugh in my face if you want," she spat as she forced a smile. "It doesn't make yourself better than me, anyway. So I don't give a shit."

"Were you about to hate me until the day I die just because of a stupid adolescent crush ?" Annie asked in both amusement and disbelief. "Seriously Mina, how old are you ?"

At this, Mina made a face. "You can't understand those kind of things, Leonhardt," she shouted, annoyed. "Since you have a heart made of steel." She paused, and neither of the girls talked for a moment. "But to see you act the way you do with him..." Mina's voice suddenly cut in a whisper, breaking the silence. "I can't help feeling sorry for him. You really don't deserve his love, Leon-"

"His love ?" Annie replied back in a bitter laugh. "Thanks, but no thanks !" she exclaimed sternly, her smile faded from her lips instantly. "If you want him, Mina, then take him. I don't give a damn shit about his feelings and all those shits."

Mina opened her mouth because she wanted to say something in return, but no words came. She shook her head slowly, a serious expression on the face as she felt scandalized by what she just had heard. "Are you not ashamed of yourself to talk like that of a friend ?" she whispered, catching the blond's eyes in hers with both disgust and disapproval. "Love is not something you can give and take back as you please, you moron. Seriously, I don't understand why a person like you can be loved by someone as kind as him. It's a shame. You're a-"

"How touching," Annie cut with a crooked smile, her voice without any emotion. "Is it the moment I'm supposed to kneel down to cry and apologize ?"

Mina let her throat pass a stifling laugh as she didn't even know what to answer to that awful behavior Annie was putting on display. "Damn it, you really don't care about the others, don't you ?"

The blond sighed noisily. Now she really felt annoyed. "He'll fucking get over it !" she answered pretty agressively, clenching her fists to punch on something. "Now mind your own business, and stop pissing me off !"

And with that, she just turned around and walked away before she did something she would regret.

"Hey, where the fuck are you going, Annie ?!" Mina spat, afar. "Mikasa said-"

"I don't give a shit of what she said !"

* * *

 _ **A.N:** **Thanks for reading ! And for those who want more... why don't you just go take a look at my 'More and More' fic, and 'Blank' as well ?**_

 _ **See you !**_


	9. Chapter IX

**Hellooooo ? Is there anybody ? Sorry, it's been... like 2 months, but I wasn't in the mood. Anyway... here it is.**

* * *

Blood had, somewhat, always fascinated Annie. Maybe it was for that reason she had tracked the red trails that were going into the forest, dragging her away from the river path she was following basically.

She had found a wolf trap with a morsel of flesh inside and she was curious to know where was the rest of the body.

Judging by the colors of the fur, Annie deduced that it probably was a dog or a wolf. The poor animal had obviously mutilated itself to escape from the trap, but the wound would be so serious that she couldn't believe it was still alive. However, she kept following the patches until they had finally led her to a laying shape, revealing that it was an adult wolf.

Annie looked all around her, but since there was no sign of the pack, she approached the beast slowly, trying to afraid it not.

The wolf watched her getting closer with the corner of its eyes. Its thoracic cavity arose and stooped down with each quick breathes it was taking, panting and growling as the blood flowed from its mutilated paw.

The wound wasn't pretty, and it made Annie's jaw clench a bit. She didn't like it, but she realized how late it was for it to be saved, actually.

She frowned and sighed. She could have turned her heels after that, letting the cycle of life accomplish its work without acting. She could have returned to the others before they started to feel worried about her absence. But she couldn't help kneeling down near the beast, stretching a hand as if she wanted to show to the wolf any compassion.

"Hey," she whispered in a concerned voice, making the eyes of the wild animal fixed her deeply. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you."

She held out a hand to it, but the wolf growled at her and tried to stand in its paws with what seemed to be the last forces it could be able to give, despite its trembling members. It did two or three steps backward before falling on the ground in a low puppylike whine, the breathing noisy.

"Hey, buddy, it's ok," Annie breathed gently, offering it her hand again. "It's ok, I'm just trying to help you."

When she got closer to the head, the wolf bared its fangs warily but didn't bite. Instead, it sniffed her fingers and sneezed before it licked its lips in reflex.

Annie smiled and encouraged the animal with her voice to allow her to do what she had to. She let her other hand running slow-movingly along her thigh, searching for the leather holder she unlocked to seized her knife, but the wolf jumped at the sound it made and, in a flash, moved its maw in an attempt to bite the girl.

Annie stepped back with surprise to give the animal some space, but she suddenly realized that her right hand was compressed by the long teeth that were entering her skin sharply.

She cried out of pain and wanted to retire, but she felt the jaw tightening on its grip and it made the knife escaping from her hand to fall on the ground next to her feet.

"Shit !"

Unable to pick it up, Annie decided to let her imprisoned hand being stuck in its maw, and seized the animal's face with the other. She succeeded in maintening the thin muzzle closed, struggling a bit against the wolf that tried to open it by all means, and in a quick movement of her expert hands, she turned the head abruptly, snapping the neck in no time. She felt the muscles relaxing under her, the silence that had followed, and Annie released the corpse before she straightened up slowly.

She looked at the dead wolf and took some time to recover, but that was how she realized that adrenaline had completely left her body.

"F-fuck !" she suddenly whined as she grabbed her wrist with her other hand. "Shit ! That fucking hurts !"

She clenched her jaw and dared to look down at her injured member. The skin of her palm was torn apart and some of her fingers were severely cut. Some chunks of flesh were hanging loosely, and the ache she felt was so tremendous that she couldn't retain herself from crying.

With tears flowing along her cheeks, Annie tightened her grip on her wrist, and tried to forget the acute pain her affected nerves demonstrated.

While a lot of people would be afraid of hemorrhage, amputation, or infections and rabies, Annie was fortunate to worry not about all those human details. She knew that _what_ she was would protect her, so she walked a few steps away from the corpse to sit against a tree.

Her body trembling because of the sobs, Annie posed a desperate look on her silver ring, barely visible under all the blood that was now covering her pale member.

Since when had she became that concerned about the others ? First it was Krista, now it was a wild animal, and then what ? Was she stupid enough to think that being a good girl would redeem her from all her committed sins ? It was a stupid idea. She could make all the good she wanted, her fate would still stay the same: she would be the traitor of Humanity, no matter what she will accomplish in her short life. She could dream as long as she wanted of the day someone would finally extract the awful beast she was forced to carry in her, it wouldn't change the fact that the impure blood that was running through her veins was belonging to a monster.

But fundamentally, Annie knew it wasn't her fault. She was just born in the wrong place at the wrong time. Life was sometimes cruel, and she was just one of those wastes of this world.

Sadly though, she got used to the idea and she learnt how to live with that disgusting thing concealed inside of her.

Lost in her thoughts, Annie played with her thumb and her ringed finger. She didn't pay any attention at the cloud of steam that emerged from her ripped skin and, when she finally noticed the vapors, she just sighed and brought her injured hand in front of her face. It was hot but non burning. Not painful. On the contrary.

With a deadpan expression on the face, the blond moved her member in all the possible angles it could be put and stared at it casually. She studied her wounds as they disappeared progressively, comforted when she felt the interior tissues that were quickly regenerated inside of her body.

She sighed of relief when she realized that the pain was definitely gone and she straightened up, now decided to backtrack before the others get worried, caring not about the vapors that were still finishing to restore the flesh of her hand.

What an adventure ! Basically, Annie only wanted a walk to vent her frustration after the conversation she had with Mina, nothing more. She would have prefered to hit something, because it was clearly the best way for her to overcome the bad feelings, but no, curiosity had led her here and now... there it is.

"Holy shit !" breathed a voice not far away from her.

Annie turned her head quickly in the direction of the sound and made eye contact with a man that was standing still a few meters away from her. Judging by the rifle he was carrying on his shoulder and the small prey that were hanging on his belt, she could deduced easily that he was a hunter. Maybe the hunter who was living in the house Mina had found a little earlier ?

Annie followed his eyes passing from hers to her steamy hand, and then again on her eyes. The man blinked a few times then, and it was as if time had simply stopped between them.

Reading the fear painted on his face, Annie realized with a certain tinge of regret that the man had saw something he shouldn't, and she sighed because she understood what she now had to do.

The hunter seemed to notice Annie's deduction because his feet started to recoil slowly as he never quit the girl's eyes in the process.

Finally, he let go of the wolf trap he held in his hands and in a flash, started to run to the opposite side.

Annie's blood boiled in her veins. She didn't wait for an invitation to pursue him.

They both ran into the forest as if their life depended on it, Annie cutting through the brambles bush to attain him more quickly. She was running like a wild person, her mind empty. Only one thing was crucial: stay under-coverage at any price. The man couldn't reach the military camp by hook or by crook. She had to stop him, and she had to do it now.

Leaning forward a bit, she pushed on her thighs to increase her speed. She was fast, she was very fast. Of all her fellows, Annie was the most talented in race and manhunt.

Moving toward him in no time, she gave a rotary punt that made him stumble and fall on the ground in a crash. Never ceazing to run away, the man crawled on the floor with a certain vividness, but Annie followed him slowly until she put a foot on his knee to stop him from moving.

The man raised his hands above his face and joined them together. "W-wait !" he screamed at her in an attempt to bring her to her senses. "I didn't see anything !" he shouted in a tight smile. "I swear ! I didn't see anything !"

But that was wrong. Annie didn't answer and tilted her head in deadpan. She was trying to dehumanize him so things could be easier, and she pressed her foot harder against his knee until she could hear the crack of the bone that just had been dislocated under her boot.

"Fuck !" the man shouted in pain as he wrapped his hands around his painful joint. "Ok ! Ok ! I did see something, yes !" he finally confessed with tears flowing along his cheeks. "But I won't talk ! I swear ! Have mercy on me, young lady ! Please ! I swear I won't talk !"

Annie closed her eyes briefly and sighed noisily; all she wanted right now was to wind this shit up. She didn't want to do it, of course, but she had to. The more she would wait, the more she would feel some remorse in doing this, and the more she would feel unable to accomplish that cruel act.

So when her gaze returned on him after that, the man gritted his teeth and whined in pain and terror, perfectly knowing how things were going to happen from now on.

He crawled again. He cried. He was terrified. When Annie climbed on him, the man tried to struggle against her. He was fighting so fiercely that she was forced to sit astride on his chest to crush his arms with her knees to prevent him from pushing her back. But she was just a girl, and he was a strong man struggling for survival, so she punched him right in the face to calm him down, and the hunter felt backwards in a shriek. The target now under control, Annie stretched her hands towards him to seize his head quickly, and the man closed his eyes before he asked one single question. "What are you ?" he breathed with a fearful will to know, his gaze looking at the orange pink sky that was hiding behind the top of the trees above them.

Annie's eyebrows twitched at the inquiry, but she decided that ignoring him was the best thing to do. "I'm sorry," she simply spoke, retaining all the emotions she could. "Nothing personal."

And with that, her frightening skills provided her to snap a human's neck with an disconcerting ease. She felt all the muscles relaxing under her, but she refused to release her grip on his head.

What she did was wrong, but she had a mission to fulfill, isn't that it ? It was just a blessing in disguise, and it was too bad for all the losses it will cause, right ? At least, that was what Reiner always repeated. And that was now what Annie tried to convince herself to believe.

Her heart still racing, Annie didn't dare moving an inch. With her jaw clenched, she let some few breathing escaped her nose quickly as she tried to keep her composure.

She felt disgusted by herself, and keeping her hands on him was like maintening a certain life in the body. Like ignoring that he was dead, and that she was the one who did this. It was a cold comfort though. She was a murderer, nothing more, nothing less, and nothing that she could say or do would change that sad reality.

Feeling like vomiting, Annie instantly turned her head on the side to throw up some bile. She stay like that a moment until she suddenly felt queasy again and straightened up quickly to let herself being supported by the trunk of a nearest tree.

Coughing, she let her eyes wander on the corpse in front of her. She tried to convince herself that she had no other choice than this one, but when she saw the stain on the man's pants, she felt the tears climbed on her eyelashes... the poor man had just peed on himself.

She scared that man so much that he peed on himself.

Annie felt her knees falter. She was trained to kill people since years, but she'd never done it before... not in her human form. This time, she couldn't accuse the Titan she was. Or maybe, just maybe, the Titan was an excuse for her to forgive who she truly was ? She started to tremble.

"I'm sorry," she said, her eyes wide open. "I'm so sorry..."

She stepped back a little, but then she was struck with the thought that someone could see what she did. She swallowed hard. There was no way she could be imprisoned for that. She couldn't be caught.

So she studied her environment to find the best place to hide the corpse, but the simple idea of touching it again formed a knot in her stomach.


End file.
